A free STB for all (again)

Alex Encel is having another go at getting everybody in Australia a government-subsidised set top box. (See last time).

I like the idea, but I’m still not clear on who would pay for those who need antenna upgrades (or indeed how many/how much dosh is involved for this).

As he points out, so far they haven’t picked up the idea apparently due to ideological grounds rather than sound economic argument. But that’s typical of the current government — otherwise why would we have massive subsidies for private health insurance?

By the way, just to be pedantic for a moment, in Australian English, the word analogue has a ue on the end.

6 thoughts on “A free STB for all (again)

  1. Andrew

    Analog Analogue. Not sure how I would spell it in a test. Probably analouge. I don’t follow such matters closely, but isn’t it odd why new tvs sold in the last few years haven’t had a built in digital receiver? Analogue won’t even be switched off in 2012. Tvs are still being sold now without digital receiving facility. Shut down the old age pensionsers’ tvs and see how long anyone lasts in governement.

  2. josh

    Oh yeah! Do STBs put out a RF signal? I discovered a couple of weeks ago that not all TVs have composite inputs.

  3. Anonymous

    They don’t, but you can buy an RF modulator to turn the AV signal into an RF signal. But the age of a TV that doesn’t have any AV input probably means that TV won’t last much longer anyway, so I wouldn’t go to great lengths looking for a modulator. Not when you can buy a widescreen CRT TV for $550 according to the Green Guide last week.

  4. daniel Post author

    As Andrew said, you’ve got to consider the OAPs. You can’t tell them to go buy a new TV. You can’t even tell them to go buy an RF modulator. You have to show up to their house, plug everything in, and make sure it works. And yes, there are TVs still out there going strong without anything except RF. Like the 48cm Panasonic I bought in 1993.

  5. Peter

    Hello Aussies,

    South Africa has a similar story although digital will be added in 2008 and
    they will stop with analoq in 2015.they start early probably because of the
    Soccer World Championship 2010 and for the poor they will give i quess an STB
    and where needed a modulator.

    i was wondering why not take a sort of DVB-H / DAB-IP as basis allowing mobile
    wireless voip so phone nand internet acces at the same time and with mesh / p2p
    wimax etc etc etc should be possible.
    Internet access is not a luxury here but a serious “must” any ideas ?

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